Fire escape



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. B.-KENNEDY.

FIRE ESCAPE. No. 275,772. Patented Apr. 10,188

. [Z v i 1 I J E-2' x R 7:2 f raj 0 WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT "FFICE.

JOSEPH B. KENNEDY, OF PRINCETON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OE ONE-HALF TO JOHN MARTIN ALMON, OF SAME PLACE.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,772, dated April 10, 1883.

' Application filed February 16, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH B. KENNEDY, of Princeton, in the county of Gibson and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,-clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building provided with my improved fire-escape. Fig. 2 is a side view of the Windlass operating the same. Figs. 3 and at are detail views of the bails fastening the Windlass upon the sidewalk. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the brackets, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the basket and the pulley and roller.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to that class of fire-escapes having a basket operated by a Windlass and rope which is carried over a pulley swiveled to a roller running upon a rod supported by brackets along the top of the building; and it consists in the detailed construction and combination of parts of the same, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanyingdrawin gs, the letter A indicates a building, along the top of which is fastened a rod, B, in brackets 0. These brackets consist of wrought-iron rods, the ends of which are inserted through and embedded in the wall of the building, and secured upon the inside of the wall by means of nuts or anchors fastened upon them, while their central portion is bent around or wrapped around the rod B, forming an eye, D, supported by the horizontal portion E and inclined brace portion F of the rod. The ends of the rod are provided with nuts G, which prevent it from slipping out of the brackets, and a grooved wheel or roller, H, pivoted in a clevis or frame, 1, rolls upon this rod with the clevis depending. To the lower end of this clevis is swiveled a block, J, having a pulley, K, over which passes a rope, L, preferably made of wire, to the middle of which is fastened a strong snap-hook,

M, while one end of it is fastened to the drum of a Windlass, N, and its other end depends loose. A wire basket, 0, is adapted to be hooked upon the snap-hook M, having rods P extending from its upper corners, which are connected over the middle of the basket by an eye, Q. The basket is preferably square, and may be provided with hooks or anchors R, adapted to catch over the window-sills when it is suspended outside a window. The free end of the rope serves to guide the basket, drawing it from one end of the rod to another, and to draw it down, while the other end is provided with a snap-hook, S, adapted to engage a bail, T, upon the drum U of the Windlass. This Windlass consists of a frame, V, in which the drum and operating crank-shaft are journaled, and the ends IV of the lower sill project out beyond the side supports, and are held down upon the pavement of the sidewalk by bails X and Y. The downward-bent ends Z of the one X of these bails slide in holes a in a metallic plate, I), which is placed in the sidewalk flush with the pavement, and are secured from sliding out of the holes by nuts or knobs 0 upon their lower ends, so that when not in use clamping the end of the sill of the windlass they may be let down flush with the pavement. The other bail, Y, is hinged at 0 upon short-eyed rods (1, fastened in the pavement, so that it may be folded down flush with the surface, and it will be seen that by drawing the one bail X up and passing one. end of the sill into it, and drawing the hinged bail Y over the other end, the sill and Windlass will be held rigidly in place upon the sidewalk.

The frame V is square, and between its sides are journaled two shafts, e and f, one above the other. The upper shaft, 0, is provided at its outer ends with cranks g, by which it is operated, and has inside its bearings a large cogwheel, h, which meshes with a pinion, 1', upon shaft f. The latter shaft is also provided with the drum U, around which the rope L passes and is fastened, and with a smaller drum,j, upon which the brake operates, the latter consisting of a strap, fastened at one end to the frame and at the other end to a lever pivoted upon the frame, passing over drum j. A ratchetwheel, Z, is fastened upon shaft 6, and

is engaged by a pawl, m, pivoted upon the frame in such a manner that when the basket is descending it may be thrown off from engaging the ratchet-wheel, and when the basket is hoisted it may be thrown in, engaging the ratchet, and serve to hold the basket at any place, and prevent it from dropping down by its own weight.

It will be seen that the apparatus may be placed in position for operation in a moment of time, the ropes being kept coiled in a box outside the house, and the basket and windlass being kept at a convenient place, and that by placing the Windlass upon the opposite side of the street, which I prefer, the heat and smoke from the fire will aflect the persons operating the apparatus less than by being immediately near thethouse.

It will also be seen that by having the cogwheel upon the crank-shaft larger than the one upon the drum-shaft the basket will be hoisted with very great speed.

I am aware that fire-escapes have been made having vertical rods supported by brackets at the top of the house, upon which pulleys may be slid from one end of the house to the other, and having a basket for the reception of the persons in the house, and a Windlass for operating it, and I do not claim that, broadly; but What I do claim, and. desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a fire-escape of the described class, the brackets O, fastened at both ends in the wall of the house, and bent or twisted to form an eye, D, for the reception of the rod B, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. In a fire-escape of the described class,the fastening for the lower sill of the Windlass operating it, consisting of the bail X, sliding vertically with its bent ends in a perforated plate, I), and the bail Y, hinged to the pavement at -c, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

3. In a fire-escape of the described class, the combination of the Windlass N, having lower sidewise-projecting sill ends, W, with the vertically-sliding bail X and the hinged bail Y, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

4. As an improvement in fire-escapes, the combination and arrangement, as described, of the brackets 0, horizontal bar B, rolling swiveled block H I J, rope L, basket 0, windlass N, and bails X and Y, all constructed to operate in the manner and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOSEPH BOAZ KENNEDY.

Witnesses BYRON MILLS, THEODORE BosWELL. 

